A Blackwood neo-Nazi has been jailed for five years for a racist attack on an Asian man on the day of soldier Lee Rigby’s funeral.
The “disgusting assault” by fascist Richard Harris took place after he confronted Zahoor Hussain while he was talking to a white woman at the Mornington Lodge in Blackwood in July 2013.
Harris, 38, bottled businessman Mr Hussain while out drinking as the murdered soldier was buried.
Newport Crown Court heard how he became enraged after spotting his victim chatting with an “attractive white woman” colleague on a work trip.
Harris shouted at the young professional woman: “What are you doing drinking with terrorists?”
He then told Mr Hussain: “You are all animals. This is not your country”.
Harris grabbed Mr Hussain by the testicles and smashed a full beer bottle over his head, almost ripping his left ear from his scalp and knocking him unconscious.
Harris denied racially aggravated wounding and told a trial he had Swastika tattoos, pictures of Hitler on his living room wall and was a member of a fascist “white pride” British Movement.
He told the court: “Hitler’s views are common sense on a lot of things.”
The court heard Harris had said there “needs to be more research done” into whether the Holocaust took place.
He was found guilty of the Islamophobic attack, which left his victim with hearing problems and severe lacerations to his left ear and neck.
Judge Jonathan Ferris branded Harris a “dangerous extremist”.
He told him: “You are a racist. On your mobile phone was found racist images and cartoons.
“Another showed a black man being shot by a white man for impregnating a white woman.
“A great deal of Nazi and fascist memorabilia was also discovered in your home.
“You attacked the victim because he was of South Asian origin and he was socialising with a group of attractive white women – one of whom was pregnant.
“You are a dangerous extremist who is capable of extreme violence.”
The head of hate crime at Gwent Police, Superintendent Mark Warrender, said: “This was a disgusting assault that has had life changing effects for the victim.
“We’d like to pay tribute to the victim himself for his courage throughout. I’d also like to thank the members of the community who were witnesses to this incident who were able to provide information that led to the arrest of Harris so quickly and also gave evidence at the trial, showing very clearly that the majority of people found his behaviour, which was fuelled by racism, abhorrent.
“There is no place for racism or any hate crime within our communities.”